White Sox Add An Intriguing Young Hitter In A Flurry Of Moves
In a busy day for Chris Getz, he made a few moves that had an impact on the major league roster. According to the White Sox, they have made five moves. They sent promising LHP Ky Bush to AAA, they Designated Nick Senzel for Assignment, they recalled LHP Sammy Peralta and INF Bryan Ramos, and they claimed INF Jacob Amaya off waivers from the Houston Astros.
This was a very interesting set of moves. I thought Ky Bush showed a lot of promise in his few starts, as he seemed to start to find his control, as his walks continued to decrease every start. Clearly the White Sox want him to work on some things in the minor leagues before he gets ready for Spring Training in February. If we don’t see Bush again this year, the next time we will see him is in Spring Training as he fights for a roster spot.
Nick Senzel was due to be DFA’d, as he simply didn’t play much. At this point, he was taking up a valuable roster spot from a young guy that could get major league at-bats under his belt in a low pressure situation. That is invaluable for a young hitter, and now Bryan Ramos will get that opportunity.
Ramos deserved a call-up as he was on fire in AAA the last few weeks. While he wasn’t in the lineup today, he needs to be playing everyday, whether it is at third or designated hitter. He has the potential to be the everyday third basemen for the Sox, and now he begins the process of trying to prove it.
Sammy Peralta is now up again for what seems to be the 100th time this season. He is a solid lefty out of the ‘pen and can eat up some innings. This could be his last chance to cement a roster spot on the 2025 team, as there will be plenty of competition in the bullpen.
Perhaps the most interesting move is the White Sox claiming infielder Jacob Amaya from the Houston Astros. The White Sox have a golden opportunity to try out as many players as they can, so moves like this are very smart, as they are low-risk, high-reward.
Amaya is 25 years old and was an 11th round pick of the Dodgers back in 2017. He has just 10 MLB at-bats under his belt, as he is 2 for 10. Nine of those at-bats came with the Marlins, while just one came with the Astros.
Amaya is a very intriguing prospect as he has hit pretty well in his minor league career. In 667 minor league games, he has hit .251 with a solid .353 OBP. He has 62 career homeruns and 331 RBIs. These aren’t bad numbers and it is clear why the White Sox took a chance on him.
While he hasn’t hit great this year, he had some very solid years in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he hit .261 with 17 homeruns and 71 RBIs. He followed that up in 2023 hitting .252 with 15 homeruns and 65 RBIs. He has some very solid power and the White Sox will look to tap into that.
Amaya also has a fantastic eye as he has taken a bunch of walks. In 2022, he walked 81 times compared to 112 strikeouts, while in 2023 he walked 70 times compared to 106 strikeouts. While not exactly a 1:1 ratio, he still takes his fair share of walks, which the White Sox could use.
Amaya has mainly played SS and 2B, but can play 3B as well. I’d like to see him rotate around giving guys rest while still getting consistent at-bats. He hasn’t gotten a chance to prove himself at the MLB level, but the White Sox should be able to give him that chance. This is a very interesting move by the White Sox and it could pay off.